Sonia Gandhi to launch health scheme for students

SummaryCongress president Sonia Gandhi will be in Palghar, a distant suburb of Mumbai, on Wednesday to launch the UPA government’s ambitious programme offering health cover to students up to class XII.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will be in Palghar, a distant suburb of Mumbai, on Wednesday to launch the UPA government’s ambitious programme offering health cover to students up to class XII.

The scheme is an extension of the scheme in which regular health checkups are conducted through anganwadi and schools for children up to class VI.

Children are routinely examined for ailments, especially heart and severe congenital diseases, and given free treatment at government hospitals to reduce child mortality. Officials in Maharashtra said over a thousand heart surgeries have been performed on school children through the existing scheme.

Minister for Public Health Suresh Shetty confirmed the plan to launch the scheme from Palghar but said the details were still being worked out. Congress workers said she is not expected to hold other meetings in the state.

Three years ago, Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had flagged off the ambitious UID project from Nandurbar district of Maharashtra.